'Sexually confused' ex-teacher sentenced to home detention

A former teacher and cricket coach has been sentenced to home detention for historic sex abuse offences.

Former Hutt International Boys School teacher Kevin Fraser Keys, 59, was sentenced in Wellington District Court today to seven months home detention and was ordered to pay $5000 in reparation for emotional harm to his victim.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault of a boy under 16.

The charges relate to historic offending between 1979 and 1981, when Keys was a coach at a Christchurch cricket club.

The court was earlier told he had taken an interest in a promising 12-year-old cricket player and befriended the boy's family.

He bathed with the boy, took photographs of him naked and performed sex acts while the boy was in his care over four days at a sports tournament in Dunedin and while the boy's parents were on holiday in Nelson.

In another incident, Keys visited the family home and trapped the boy in his room by sliding a set of drawers in front of the door. He then drew the curtains and assaulted the boy.

When questioned by police, Keys said he had been confused sexually at the time.

Keys was one of the longest-serving teachers at Hutt International Boys School, having taught at the Upper Hutt integrated school for 19 years since it was founded in 1991.

He was charged earlier this year and resigned from the school at the end of last term.

The school's principal Grahame Duffy said the charges were disappointing but he stressed that they were historic.